to hope I am not the only single parent/person to sometimes feel a little afraid of being at home alone at nightime?

[SoleSource]

,Had a bit of a frightening experience last night. Woken up from sleep at 4am by warring neighbours tben unrelated blood curdling screaming from a female at the bottom of our long road.

Asode from doors/windows locked, curyaibs/blinds drawn etc

Do you take any other safety precautions?

I take my mobile phone to bed and shout who is it, agressively if a stranger knocks my door.

Does your dog sot tbete without being trained to do so or is he/she just naturally guarding the children?

Get a dog, I'm a newly single parent and feel vry safe and secure. I even turn all my lights off when I go to bed :)

Although I think if I'd had an experience like yours op I would probably be terrified!

Actually I worry much more about being ill or dying in the night because I am on my own with kids and I can't bear the thought of them finding me.

I have those thoughts to bonnie.

Oh dear, Bonnie has just given me something to worry about!

My dog patrols the downstairs.

I usually feel secure mosy of tbe time. Just last nights activity has shook me up abit. Hearing a woman and her three year old chd being beaten up was vile Then that scream...

Me too Bonnoe. Said neighbour did find her Mother dead this year. If I were to die my DS would be alone for days.

Sorry for diverting you off topic but I am a bit obsessed about it at the moment and I am not a hypochondriac or ill!

Oh no sole hopefully your neighbour was an adult

i have the dog downstairs. i keep my car keys in the front door lock and i'm going to start keeping an old handbag with old cards and change in it by the front door. i really dont want a car thief or burglar coming any further into the house than necessary. i dont keep tools or ladders outside so as not to make it easy for someone to get in. that's it really. going to read the thread now incase tehre is more i could be doing.

Oh god now u lot have given me thoughts I didnt have...

Yeah bonnie, 23. :(

What a horrid thing to happen, would stay with you for ever

How old is your ds [sole]

Yeah, poor gorl.

If I died my DS would be here for around two weeks. He might die too.

14. Blind, Autistic, no speech etc

She used to always sleep in the kitchen, but as soon as DD arrived she took up residence outside her door.

i find i usually freeze if i am woken in my sleep by a noise. i can hardly breathe through fear til i'm sure it is nothing dangerous, but one time i was woken by a huge clatter and i dont know why i did it but i just jumped straight out of bed and ran downstairs. it turned out the cat had knocked a plate of the counter, but i dont know what i would have done if it had been an intruder. i take comfort in the fact that when my aunt's house was burgled, she scared them off by getting out of bed loudly and flushing the toilet. that being said, i will try very hard not to dash downstairs ever again when i hear loud noises.

Gosh Terror. I like your dog :)

Oh sole can you put something in place to ease your mind

This might sound stupid but unless you have a flash house and car, what is the point of burglarising a modest abode?

Sole, do you know someone well enuff that you can quick text regularly so that if they do not hear from you they can phone and investigate?

Bonnie As a result of tbis thread I am going to inform school/respite that if tbey have not heard from me to assume the worst.

I agree ike1 was just having the exact same thought. At least I have nothibg to stealaside from car.

i wouldn't know ike, i've never thought about breaking into a house so i dont know how burglars think but i'm sure as hell not leaving anything to chance. i'm thinking drug addicts just go for something that's easy to get into for a bit of cash or a tv or jewellery to get them the next fix. not all burglars are after cars.

That sounds like a good plan sole. Yes I suppose this is why I tend to try not to worry too much. Put the basics in place, but I suppose most burglaries are opportunistic cos lets face it goods like second hand laptops, dvd players etc are not worth much.